A US woman who shot and killed her husband and two adult children before taking her own life is thought to have committed the shocking crime as a result of being ostracised from the religion she was raised in.

A federal judge sentenced a former Arkansas judge Wednesday to five years in prison — a stiffer punishment than prosecutors recommended — after he admitted giving young male defendants lighter sentences in return for personal benefits that included sexual favours.

Every time I tell a mate I’m doing a story on cryptocurrency, they invariably ask me the same two questions: should they invest their own hard-earned money, and which cryptocurrency will get them a Lamborghini/yacht/island quickest?

In a 60 Minutes online exclusive, reporter Liz Hayes quizzed Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on his relationship with the unpredictable Twitter aficionado and US president Donald Trump ahead of their meeting at the White House Friday.

But there's little question Brexit's biggest impact will be on trade with Europe. The EU is first and foremost an economic alliance. The strict regulations and restrictions have been a campaign argument for Leave, but its uniformity simplifies trade among the member nations.

By leaving the EU, Britain will free itself of such regulations in agriculture, manufacturing and other industries. But a Brexit will mean Britain will have a harder time exporting its wares to EU nations, which are by far their biggest trading partners. British businesses may find themselves facing new tariffs and unexpected competition as they become outsiders again.

Already expectations of a Leave victory has seen the British pound plummeting to its lowest level since 1985. A falling pound will only make the export market harder for Britain, increasing the risk of a recession. The Bank of England is tipped to cut interest rates as early as tomorrow UK time as it can to slow a market downturn.

For Australians wishing to move to the UK, a Brexit would be good news. Britain's current immigration policy favours EU migrants at the expense of people from elsewhere. It's the main reason for a dramatic drop in work visas given to Australians in Britain in the past decade, and a Brexit would likely allow more Aussies in.

Such a change in migration policy would come at the expense of migrants from Europe. Much of the angst over the UK's involvement in the EU stemmed from a perceived influx of workers coming in from countries like Poland and Lithuania. The Brexit would substantially reduce visas being issued from such countries.

A Brexit would cause some headaches for Australian exporters. Right now Australia has begun the process of negotiating a trade deal with the EU. If Britain leaves the EU, it would nullify many existing trade deals with the rest of the world. So while Britain and the EU would be busy creating new deals with other countries, Australia could find itself a low priority. A Brexit could lead to a more favourable arrangement with British customers eventually, but such a deal could be years in the future.

A Brexit is also very bad news for the European Union. The EU has been in a shaky position since the global financial crisis, and losing one of their biggest and most stable economies could be fatal. Most likely the EU will survive, but a Brexit is certainly a backward step for them.

It should also be pointed out the referendum itself is not legally binding. The prime minister and the parliament can refuse to abide by the decision of the voters. But doing so would infuriate many and almost certainly cost the ruling Conservative Party their re-election in 2020.